Grey is here to stay in home designs

Beige and white have long been go-to colors for neutral living spaces. But many interior decorators now look to grey as the neutral colour of choice. - Metro Creative

Decorating a home in neutral tones has long been recommended as a way to sell a home quickly.

But the colour grey also provides a blank canvas for homeowners who have no intention of putting their homes on the market anytime soon.

Beige and white have long been go-to colours for neutral living spaces. But many interior decorators now look to grey as the neutral colour of choice.

Design experts advise that grey has a broad range. Grey can include everything from silver to charcoal to a dusty cloud.

According to the trendsetters at Glidden Paints, grey coordinates well with other colours. Plus, the neutral appeal of grey boasts a timeless quality.

Grey is not a clear-cut colour that’s simply a 50-50 blend of white and black. Grey has subtle nuances that can lean toward blues, greens, taupes and more depending on the lighting and surrounding furnishings.

That means that homeowners who are ready to replace their furniture or accessories need not necessarily repaint if they’ve previously decorated in shades of grey.

Individuals need only replace small items to produce a big effect in rooms where grey is dominant. Because grey is so neutral, it works with soft, calming colours in various pastels, but equally as well with bright reds, yellow and oranges, according to Scott Bodenner, a Brooklyn-based textile designer.

Grey also is a predominant colour in natural stones used throughout homes in entryways, bathrooms and kitchens. It can make design sense to maintain continuity throughout by dabbling in grey elsewhere.

Designers have shown how grey does not have to be cold, industrial or gloomy. It can be sophisticated in just about any room of the house.

More designers are now leaning toward warmer variations of grey, such as taupes and blends dubbed ‘greige,’ that are beautiful but not as stark as pure grey.